Onam in Kerala
Onam is the biggest festival of Kerala. But, there is a lot more to Onam than being just a festival. Onam reflects the faith of the people of Kerala; A belief in their legendary past, religion and power of worship. It shows the high spirit of the people who go out of the way to celebrate the festival in the prescribed manner and a grand fashion.
Best of Season and Weather
Onam is also a harvest festival. It is celebrated at a time when everything appears so nice and good. The beautiful landscape of Kerala can be seen in its full radiance at this time of the Malayalam New Year. Weather, it seems, also seeks to be a part of the festival. It contributes by becoming pleasantly warm and sunny. Fields look brilliant with a bountiful harvest. Farmers feel on top of the world as they watch the result of their hard labour with pride.
Children’s Joy and Homecoming
Children eagerly wait for the arrival of the carnival. Why shouldn’t they. It is time for them to get new clothes, toys and everything else they asked for or thought of. Numerous uncles, aunts and grandmas grace their wishes with delight. It is also a time for homecoming for people staying away from the families. Their arrival multiples the joy of the festival several folds.
Welcoming a Very Special Visitor
Onam awaits one very special visitor, Kerala’s most loved legendary King Maveli. He is the King who once gave the people a golden era in Kerala. The King is so much attached to his kingdom that it is believed that he comes annually from the nether world to see his people living happily. It is in honour of King Mahabali, affectionately called Onathappan, that Onam is celebrated.
Womenfolk make special arrangements to welcome Onathappan. Flower carpets are laid in the front courtyards with dedication and full sincerity. A grand meal is prepared on the day of Thiru Onam. It is on this day that Maveli’s spirit visits Kerala. Lip smacking meal consists of best of Kerala cuisine including avial, sambhar, rasam, parippu and the payasam.
Cultural Extravaganza
One of the most marvelous facets of Onam is the unfolding of its rich and well-established culture. We see not just glimpses but a whole gamut of it in the ten-day-long carnival. Pulikali, Kaikottikali, Kummattikalli, Kathakali, Thumbi Thullal besides several other folk arts and traditions can be seen on one platform called Onam.
Of Unity and Team Spirit
The beauty of the festival lies in it’s secular fabric. People of all religions, castes and communities celebrate the festival with equal joy and verve. Onam also helps to create an atmosphere of peace and brotherhood by way of various team sports organised on the day.
Onam is the passion of the people of Kerala. And, pride of India!
Onam: Carnival of Kerala
Onam is the national festival of Kerala. It is celebrated is during the month of August-September. The festival cherishes the memory of the legendary King Mahabali and his prosperous reign during which, perfect communal harmony and prosperity prevailed. It was a glorious period and people were happy. The King Mahabali’s popularity was at its height and led to the envy of the Gods. This golden age ended when Vamana, the dwarf incarnation of Vishnu expelled him from his throne to the neitherlands. But Mahabali was allowed to visit his dear subjects once in a year.
He visits his dear Kingdom during the first Malayalam month of Chingam an occasion that fills the whole state with joy and merriment.
Onam is also the harvest season. Nature is divinely beautiful and Kerala becomes lush green with the spring season. Flowers bloom in plenty and butterflies bring a rainbow of colour. The people decorating their houses with `Onapookalam´ or floral arrangements on floor to welcome Mahabali. A grand lunch with 21 curries and three types of sweet porridges or `payasam´ are prepared and enjoyed with fervour. Songs in praise of Mahabali and his golden reign are sung along with kaikottikali – danced by maidens in the household. Onam is is celebrated in ten day long festivities.
Atham is the first day of celebrations and Thiruvonam is the grand finale. Uthradom, the day before Thiruvonam, is a day of great significance. From Atham to Thiruvonam, on all days, people make floral decoration in the front yard or verandah of their houses.
The idol of Thrikkakara Appan (synonym of Mahabali) made of clay is placed in the middle of the floral decoration with utmost
reverence and devotion.
On Thiruvonam day special pujas are offered in temples early in the morning after which elder members of family will give presents to the younger members. All people of Kerala without exceptions celebrate Onam. The season is celebrated in the state with tourist festivals. The state Tourism organisations conduct various cultural events, shows, exhibitions, boat races, community feasts etc during this season. Onam is one of the oldest existing festivals of India.
The Harvest Festival
Onam, the harvest festival is the most popular festival of Kerala. A festival that celebrates a happy blend of myth and reality, Onam is part of the cultural repertoire of every Malayalee.
It brings back nostalgic memories, carried on the wings of folklore, of a bygone Utopian era of prosperity, equality and righteousness, under the golden reign of Mahabali. Year after year, for centuries, the people of Kerala, irrespective of caste, creed or colour, join together to welcome back their vanquished king.
The ten-day Onam festival falls in August-September, coinciding with the beginning of the harvest season.
The Legend
According to local belief, in a war that took place between the gods and the demons, the demons won. Deeply hurt by the defeat of the gods, Aditi, their mother prayed to Lord Vishnu to destroy Mahabali, the demon king.
Consequently, Lord Vishnu, in the guise of a Brahmin boy, Vamanan, went to Mahabali and asked him to grant him three steps of land. The wish was granted and Vamanan covered the whole land with his two steps and then he came back to the King asking him where can he place the third step.
The king to honour his word, offered his head as the third step. Vamanan pushed Mahabali deep down into the earth. Pleased by his honesty and generosity, the lord in turn granted him a wish that he could he could visit his kingdom and people on a particular day once a year.
The Festivity
Preparation of a floral carpet called “Athappookkalam” in front of houses, from the first day of ‘Atham’ to the tenth day of ‘Thiruvonam’ is part of the festivities, which is a symbolic gesture to welcome King Mahabali.
The state government conducts Tourism Week celebrations in connection with Onam, showcasing the gems of Kerala’s culture. Onam resonates with Carnivals, Boat Races, Dance, Music and Feast.
A sumptious meal on plantain leaf and the traditional sweet dish of Kerala ‘Payasam’ etc are served in every house The pomp and pageantry of Onam reflects the Keralite’s zest for all the beautiful things of life.
Rituals
Onam is celebrated throughout Kerala; singing and merry making is its hallmark. Onam depicts the story of Mahabali the king who rules the country during a time of prosperity. He still visits Kerala annually to bless the people. The women dress up and decorate the entrance to their homes to welcome Mahabali. The whole state comes alive with festivity and activity. A time for prayers and ceremonies, a time to celebrate and rejoice, a time for fun and sports. A time for the snake boat festival.
ONAM AND SOUTH INDIA
Onam being celebrated in Tirupati also confirms the fact that Onam was popular in the southern region before becoming confined to Kerala after the 10th century AD.
Mangudy Marudanar, one of the noted poets of the Sangam Age, is said to have Commemoration Of A Glorious Past described the Onam celebrations in the Pandyan capital of Madurai in one of his poems. Onam has been around for a long time. Apparently it used to be celebrated during the Sangam period in the first few centuaries C.E. Onam festivities have been recorded during the time Kulasekhara Perumals (800 C.E.). Those were the days when Onam used to be a full month long.
When is Onam?
| Onam 2008 is on September 12, Friday |
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Onam Festival is celebrated in the beginning of the first month of Malayalam Calendar (Kolla Varsham) called Chingam. This month corresponds to August-September in Gregorian Calendar and Bhadrapada or Bhadon in Indian (Hindu) Calendar.
When is Thiru Onam?
Onam carnival continues for ten days, starting from the day of Atham and culminating on Thiru Onam. Atham and Thiru Onam are the most important days for Onam festivities. The day of Atham is decided by the position of stars. Onam festival commences from lunar asterism (a cluster of stars smaller than a constellation) Atham (Hastha) that appears ten days before asterism Onam or Thiru Onam. Atham is regarded as auspicious and holy day by people of Kerala. Thiru Onam corresponds to the Shravan day in the month of August or September, hence it is also called Sravanotsavam.
At this time sun is in the Zodiac sign of Leo (Simha rasi), which happens to be the sun’s house as well.
Significance of Onam Day in Mythology
The dayof Onam is decided in accordance with the legend of King Mahabali in whose honor Onam is celebrated. People believe that it was this particular day in the month of Chingam when Lord Vishnu took his fifth avatar as Vaamana, appeared in the kingdom of King Mahabali and sent him to nether world.
People believe that it is on the last day, Tiruonam that the spirit of King Maveli visits Kerala, hence the day is marked by feast and festivities. Devotees of Maveli celebrate the golden era witnessed in Maveli’s reign during Onam. To welcome their revered ruler, people lay flower mats (Pookalam) in the front courtyard, prepare a grand meal (Onasadya), dance, play and make merry. All this is done to impress upon King Mahabali that his people are prosperous and happy.
A Brief History of Onam
It is believed that Onam celebrations started during the Sangam Period. Record of celebrations can be found from the time of Kulasekhara Perumals (800 AD). At that time Onam celebrations continued for a month.
Harvest Time
As it is a harvest season, the beautiful state of Kerala can be seen in its magnificent best. Weather is pleasantly sunny and warm calling for mirth and celebrations. Fields look brilliant as they glow with golden paddy grains. It is also the boom time of fruits and flowers. After the month of deprivation, Karkidakam (last month of Malayalam Calendar), farmers are happy with a bountiful harvest and celebrate the festival to the hilt.
Thiruvonam
The tenth and the most important day of Onam celebrations is known as Thiru Onam or the Tiru Onam. Here Thiru or Tiru stands for sacred, holy, beautiful or auspicious and is equivalent of ‘Sri’ in Hindi. It is so called as the day is the most significant of all, for the people of Kerala. People believe that it is on the tenth day that Lord Mahabali comes to visit his people.
Some scholars say that the name Thiru Onam comes from the name Sravanotsav out of which ‘Sra’ was taken out and ‘vana’ was transformed to ‘Onam’. To the word Onam, ‘Thiru’ was added as the asterism Sravana on which Onam is celebrated was sacred to Lord Vishnu.
Elaborate preparations are made to celebrate Thiru Onam in the grandest possible way. Early in the morning people perform special prayers to invoke divine blessings. Women clean up the house and decorate a flower mat in the front courtyard of the house. This is to welcome the spirit of the legendary King who is so much appreciated by his people centuries after his golden reign.
A grand meal called Onasadya is also prepared to impress upon the spirit of the King that his people are happy and wish him well. Thiru Onam evenings are spent playing games and indulging in cultural events. Lightening and dazzling display of fire also takes place with much fan fair.
